FAQ

What is At Jacobs Well?
At Jacobs Well is an independent 501c(3) organization created to assist the homeless in Baltimore, Maryland.  It is governed by a Board of Directors and managed by an Executive Director.

What is the meaning of the name?
The organization was started by a small group of people who attended a seminar in Washington, DC.  They were inspired by a presentation given by Jean Vanier, the well known founder of the L'Arche communities located throughout the world.  They decided to name the organization after the room where they had met.  The room was named "At Jacobs Well".  This was a reference to the biblical story about a well said to date from Jacob's time, where Jesus had an encounter with a Samaritan woman.

Is At Jacobs Well a religious organization?
The founders of the organization are highly motivated and directed by their faith experience, as are members of the staff and Board of Directors. However, the organization has no formal ties to any religious group or denomination. Our benefactors include include members of the Christian and Jewish faiths, as well as those with no religious affiliation.

How is At Jacobs Well funded?
Approximately 50% of our funding comes from Federal, state and local government programs. The remainder comes from generous contributions from churches, individuals and foundations. We have a United Way designation number, but are not a United Way agency.  We, also, gratefully receive a number of small donations from people who believe in our mission.

Isn't At Jacobs Well just another homeless shelter?
At Jacobs Well is not a shelter.  We provide transitional housing to individuals with the goal of moving them from homelessness to more permanent housing.  Our favorable outcomes rate in 2010 was 61%.  That means that 6 out of every 10 residents moves on to more stable housing.

What else is unique about your program?
We try to maintain a sense of community that includes our current residents, as well as those who have moved on to other forms of housing. This is bolstered through monthly social events, as well as a Christmas open house. The encouragement provided by other members of the community supports our new transitional residents.

How can I help?
The easiest way is to contribute to our organization through donation or through a United Way campaign.  We also receive non-monetary contributions from many individuals (see Donations link).  A small number of volunteers assists with the setup and preparation of food for our monthly social gatherings. Some assist us by joining our Board of Directors.